Back in the day, sometime in the first years of this century when I wasn’t listening to anything much, somebody made me a ‘chillout’ compilation tape – I have a feeling it was just a cassette made straight from a compilation CD. I hated it, couldn’t understand or see the point at all, it was weak and wet and it went nowhere and it was somehow hookless, didn’t catch you, did nothing to draw you in deeper. Even when I wasn’t playing, it struck me as music to switch off to and disengage from and I couldn’t see the point of that at all, not even in some silly shallow way.
I don’t have a ‘chillout’ playlist, but I have a ‘floating’ one – not a list that changes, comes and goes like the tide, but a list of songs to float away with, and this I think is my favourite song on that list. I played it on here before, when it came up on random about a year ago, and I think then it was the first time I’d listened to it since forever, but it’s been an absolute regular since then. Why disengage when instead you can use and abuse music to submerge into yourself? This song lets you float on the water, but you’re not in some pool, sun shining, drink waiting on the side, you’re all at sea, and the waves rage high and deep, and there is an almost endless nothing beneath you, and there be monsters, and you will be tossed up and down and around by the passion of it all, and if you look then you may not make it out to the other side such is the terror of the experience from the inside… but keep your eyes closed, and allow the sea to take you, and trust in the run of your emotions, and you’ll eventually be tossed on some further shore somewhere, for sure, all the better for the voyage and willing yourself to repeat it.
July 6, 2009 at 3:12 pm
My feelings were/are the same on chillout music, but sometimes you do need listen to music that doesn’t so much engage you as distract you. I’ve got this French compilation on my Ipod that is great for distracting you from whatever (noisy workmates) and since i understand nothing more that the basic ‘hello, my name is Tom, and i live….’ in French it’s great for the role i employ it in.
Some cracking tunes on it also…..it’s called Dirty French Psychedelics if you’re interested.
July 6, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Some chill out comps I’ve got are pretty good, and the likes of Air are fantastic for floating away to.
Strangely I find ELO great for floating off to. I think it’s because it all makes me feel like I’m eight years old, daydreaming out of the window.
John Williams’ soundtracks are fantastic for drifting off on a sea of something or other, but again that’s the kid in me.
And absolutely amazing for that tomorrow never knows thing is Boards Of Canada.
July 8, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Oh I can’t imagine how anyone couldn’t float away to the voice of Sonya Madan! Great song choice here Adam. I often use industrial music to do what you describe. Something about all that noise and pounding, rhythmic beat just lets me lose myself.
July 10, 2009 at 7:06 pm
There was a time when I listened to this song every night before going to sleep. They also had a song called Scream which was the last song on their first album I think. It was a floater too. The only thing that puts me to sleep now is the Blade Runner soundtrack or Brian Eno.